RISING CONCERNS
BANGKOK—Coach Norman Black and Robert Bolick would be the first to admit that the current iteration of Gilas Pilipinas at the 33rd Southeast Asia Games remains a work in progress.
That is true even after advancing to the semifinals of men’s basketball here following two victories that did not come without anxious moments.
“Everything is a concern for us moving forward,” Black said after Monday’s 78-67 win over Vietnam at Nimibutr Stadium.
A team formed just weeks earlier after scrambling to make changes due to Thailand’s eligibility rules, Gilas is dealing with challenges in familiarity, reaching peak form and finding solutions to slow starts.
Against Malaysia, Gilas fell behind 22-16 at the end of the first quarter in what served as a rude awakening. The team responded by outscoring its opponent, 22-4, to take a 42-26 halftime lead, then shook off some third-quarter struggles to pull away for an 83-58 victory on Sunday.
Gilas found itself in serious trouble the following day against Vietnam, with guard Khoa Tran and center Huynh Phu Vinh Nguyen leading the upset-minded squad to a 41-27 second-quarter lead.
It took consistent shooting from Matthew Wright, stingy defense and clutch three-pointers from Robert Bolick—who scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter—to stave off the Vietnamese challenge.
Semifinals on Thursday
“For the next game, we should show the intensity that we had in the fourth quarter right from the first quarter,” Bolick said.
Gilas swept Group A to secure the top seed in the semifinals and could face Vietnam again if it hurdles the second-place team from Group B in the quarterfinals. Group B features host Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore as the likely teams advancing to the knockout round.
The semifinals are set for Thursday, with the bronze medal and gold medal matches scheduled the following day.
